


Get Well Soon

by madameseahorse



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Attack on Titan Manga spoilers, Cannibalism, Cart Titan - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Health Issues, Implied Cannibalism, Internalized racism, Jaw Titan - Freeform, Racism, Sickfic, Slow Burn, Spoilers, The Curse of Ymir, Undressing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:00:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21765256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madameseahorse/pseuds/madameseahorse
Summary: Oftentimes, when one of the Nine Titans was passed down, it went off without a hitch. This was not one of these times.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CatsuNatsu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatsuNatsu/gifts).



> I'd like to dedicate this fic to Catsunatsu who inspired me to write more Poccopiku. I hope you like it. I wasn't sure what you like, but figured a sick fic with Porco and Pieck would be good since The Family Galliard was kind of a sick fic and you liked that. Gah, so nervous!

Oftentimes, when one of the Nine Titans was passed down, it went off without a hitch. The successor would inject them self with spinal fluid from a titan, become a pure titan, and eat their predecessor. Zeke assured Porco that every predecessor was chained up. The former Beast Titan, Xavier, had been chained up as well.

“Even loyal warriors get nervous when a titan’s about to devour them,” he’d said as Porco was lead to the underground chamber to perform the ritual by a Marleyan soldier. He paused when neither Zeke nor Pieck followed him into the tunnel. He must have seemed confused.

“They are not going with you, you know,” the soldier said haughtily.

“I know,” he stammered. He felt embarrassed because it would be nice to have someone walk with him.

Pieck stepped up.

“If you promise to wait until I leave before transforming, I’ll walk with you.”

“Ma’am, that’s not wise. Don’t want him eating you instead.”

Pieck nodded.

“Then wouldn’t you prefer that I hand him the serum instead of you? If he doesn’t wait, he might just gobble you up. We don’t want that to happen, do we? After all, you’re so important to Marley.”

The guard paled because he was not. He may not be Eldian, but he was low enough on the totem pole to show a future titan to where he would be turning into a titan. Eldians couldn’t be trusted in his eyes. As far as he was concerned, Galliard could inherit the Cart Titan and give the Jaw to someone else.

“Right.” Despite being no one else in sight, the solder glanced around before handing her the box. She fumbled, but the box remained safe in her hands.

“Thank you for allowing me to protect you.” Her voice was all sweetness and concern, but her words might as well have been said from her titan’s mouth. She squeezed past him, making sure to brush against the guard (he squeaked in fear) and got in front of Porco.

“Ready?” she asked.

He nodded and followed.

“You didn’t have to come along. Not sure why anyone would need to show me the way.”

“The Marleyan government doesn’t want you injecting the serum too early or doing it wrong. I had a guide as well. He didn’t like the joke I made about drinking the serum, so he guided my hand with the syringe to my arm.”

“Idiot.”

“I think he was in love with the previous Cart Titan. The way his hand lingered as he chained him up was kind of sad.” She shook her head.

“He was a fool. I still feel bad for stepping on him, though.”

“He was far too close to you. Who cares if you stepped on his feet?”

“No, I crushed him as I completed the ritual. That’s why I think they were in love. No one would want to be stepped on by a mindless titan unless they wanted to die. In that way, they died together.”

“That’s…something.”

She chuckled.

“Stupid? I know. Still.” They reached the door. Pieck opened the box and presented it to him.

“Here you go. Syringe is loaded and ready to go.”

He reached for it, hands shaking.

“Now, don’t be nervous,” she tutted.

“I’m not. I’ve been training for this moment since I was a little kid!”

“Yes, to receive the Armored Titan’s powers from a stranger. A former warrior trained by Marley. This girl,” she sighed, “she killed your brother. She fought as a soldier on and for an island of devils.”

“So, she’s the enemy. I get it.”

“She didn’t mean to devour him,” Pieck interrupted.

“Who cares? That makes me want to complete the ritual even more now.” He went to grab the syringe, but she pulled it away.

“I spoke to her on the way back from Paradis. I liked her.”

“Why are you telling me this? Are you testing my resolve?”  
She squinted at him.

“Maybe.”

He groaned.

“Fine, yes, I am conflicted!” he hissed, “I’m ready to do what I need to for my country, for Marley. Fight their battles, win their war, and die thirteen years from today. Which,” he held out his hand before she could interject anything, “I’m alright with that. I’m already at an age my brother never made it to.”

His voice was calmer now. He took some deep breaths.

“I just wish things were different.” He wished that Eldians were not cursed. Then Marleyans wouldn’t hate them and they wouldn’t have to pay for the sins of their ancestors. They deserved it, naturally. 

However, the girl chained in the next room was right to enjoy her freedom that she had stolen from Marcel. It was not a sin to want freedom. Porco envied her for that. He was angry with her for stealing Marcel’s powers that were used for Marley and envied her for using the Jaw Titan’s power for herself. He didn’t know how someone could have such a power at their disposal and chose to wield it as they pleased instead of being told who to direct it at. Using the power of one of the Nines to save lives and not killed enemies.

Pieck kissed him. Not on the cheek or hand. No, she kissed him on his mouth, which was open as he tried to find the right words to say. He kissed her back without thinking, allowing her tongue to slip in, but gagging when it went in too far. She pulled away then, blushing slightly.

“What was that for?”

She cleared her throat.

“You looked like you needed a kiss. Besides, I.” She paused as she searched for the right thing to say.

“Yes?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” she answered hastily and offered him the syringe a third time.

This time, his hands were steady as he accepted the syringe-accepted his fate- and went into the ritual chamber. As soon as he closed the door, Pieck scampered on all fours up the corridor, out of the dark and ugly underground, and back to where Zeke and the Marleyan soldier. 

“Everything go well?” 

“Yes, perfect. Everything’s great,” she answered a bit too hastily. 

Zeke raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior and drew a drag from his cigarette.

“I’m just glad he didn’t eat you,” the guard half-joked.

She wasn’t sure if she should make a vaguely threatening joke or threaten him outright.

She settled for turning a brilliant shade of red.


	2. Chapter 2

“Do you think he’s done yet?” It had been half an hour so far and Pieck was getting worried.

“Yeah, someone should go check on him,” Zeke drawled.

Pieck looked at him expectantly. When he did nothing, she turned to the guard. At least the Marleyan had the decency to shake his head.

She sighed and edged towards the bunker door. She opened it and hesitated before taking a deep breath. Stepping down caused her to shudder.

“Porco? You alright?” she called, hoping he would answer and there would be no need to go down any further.

Nope. No answer. Porco so owed her after this.

The door to the ritual chamber was opened. She could see the blue-white light of the stones the chamber was made of at the end of the tunnel. A sobbing silhouette darkened the bottom of the doorway.

Pieck started running. Right before she got to him, she tripped and hit her head hard.

“Porco, what’s wrong?”

He screamed.

“It’s okay. It’s me, Pieck.” She put her hands on him, trying to calm him down.

“Pieck? What happened? You head.” He gestured weakly to something. It must be where she hit her head. There was most likely a pretty nasty gash on her forehead, judging by the blood dripping into her eyes.

“I’m fine. It’ll heal.”

Porco didn’t seem to hear her. With some effort, he reached for her forehead.

Pieck frowned. His fingertips were hot. She used both of her hands to feel his face, which was so hot that it almost hurt to touch him.

“You should be more careful, Pieck. You’re not as young as you used to be,” he scolded.

“Porco, you’re burning up. We need to get you to Mr. Zeke.” She stood up and went to help him stand, but he shook his head.

“Can’t we just stay down here?” he tilted his head to the chamber. Confused, she glanced behind him. There was nothing in there except blood and the decaying, steaming carcass of his titan form. It was not as handsome as Marcel’s titan. Pieck never admitted to anyone, but she dreamed a few interesting dreams about the Jaw Titan. Not Marcel, but the Jaw Titan, specifically. It sometimes saved her. Other times, it did not.

It did not kill her either. That was a story for another time.

She shouldn’t be looking at his titan form. It was his first form and would eventually change. No one knew what their first form looked like. Through all her memories, inherited and otherwise, the memory that housed her original titan form was not one she ever consciously. After all, it was the last thing her predecessor ever saw.

“Why Pocco?” she asked.

“I’m afraid to be underground,” he whispered.

Ah. Pieck nodded, understanding completely. One thing she had in common with pure titans was that she hated going underground. It made her feel claustrophobic. Even now, with her concern directed at Porco, Pieck low-key felt like she was being crushed.

“Well, if we go in there, we’re just going deeper underground.” She pointed up the tunnel.

“We’ll be above ground if we go that way. The sun should still be up, if we hurry.”

Porco considered it.

“I think I understand what you’re saying,” he said slowly. His speech was halted, like he was having trouble thinking of the words.

Of course he was confused. No one remembered the first time they transformed. It was impressive that he was conscious and talking at all less than an hour after transforming.

“We need to get you up to Mr. Zeke.”

“Huh?” There was a crazy, feverish light in his eyes behind the burn marks around his eyes. Too much steam came from his body and his face was redder than it should have been. It frightened her. Something was definitely wrong.

Gathering her wits, Pieck grabbed his arms and dragged him. Luckily, he didn’t physically protest (although that might be a bad sign). He just cried. In a different situation, she would have comforted him. Her human form was not as strong as her titan one, especially after being underground and not on all fours.

She ignored his protests and sobs. At that moment in time, Pieck was merely rescuing a valuable member of her team. He was a crucial piece of Marley’s future victories. He was one of the Nine Titans who needed to be protected in order to protect Marley (as they were _used_ as tools, some would say).

Part of her hated to think like that. Maybe it was the part of her whose Marleyan lover would rather die under her feet than live in a world where she controlled the Cart Titan instead of his forbidden love.

No matter what part of her it was, Pieck was a warrior through and through. She would not leave Pocco behind. She would carry him in her mouth like a kitten if she needed to. He was important to her. Important to every Eldian in Liberio as well as the government of Marley. He was the Jaw Titan now, after all.

_But wouldn’t you have saved him **before** he was chosen_? The voice-some voice-teased her as she squinted as the setting sun hit her eyes just right. Zeke dropped his cigarette and rushed to them. Pieck let him push her aside and gather Porco up in his hairy arms.

_I don’t know_ , she told the voice as her feet tried to keep up with Zeke as he gently deposited Porco into the bed of the truck. The guard, racism forgotten, hefted her up beside them before getting into the driver’s seat.

The whole time, she would recall later, Pieck never let go of Porco’s hand. Maybe that was her answer.


	3. Chapter 3

“Sorry these roads are so ill-maintained,” Zeke shouted as they drove down the hill. The truck had been commandeered borrowed from a local. The island they were on was about halfway between Paradis and the Continent. It was so small many people assumed it was merely a spot of ink on their maps. It used to be where ships bound for Paradis would restock supplies for their crews. It fell out of use a couple decades ago with the advancements in steamboat technology. There was still a port where Marleyans came and went. After recovering Bertoldt, Reiner, and the previous Jaw Titan, Zeke sent word for Porco to meet them on the island to get his brother’s titan back.

At first, Pieck didn’t know why they couldn’t wait until they got to the Continent to complete the ritual. She wasn’t sure why they even had a ritual chamber on the island. Must be a part of some greater plan beyond her comprehension.

“Doesn’t matter,” she shouted back, even though she was pretty sure she could feel her brain rattling around in her skull as the truck bounced her around.

Zeke didn’t seem to believe her, but allowed the subject to drop.

“You said he was conscious when you found him?”

She nodded.

“He was.”

“What was he doing?”

“He was upset. I startled him.” War chief or not, Zeke didn’t need to know about Pocco crying.

“Did he speak?”

“He said that he didn’t want to be underground, but wanted to go back to the chamber. Then he was so feverish, and I swear his hands were hotter than mine.”

Zeke raised an eyebrow, but didn’t ask why Porco’s hands were on her.

“What do you think is wrong with him?” Pieck asked, gently stroking Pocco’s hand with her thumb.

“I think his body is just reacting poorly to inheriting the Jaw.”

Pieck gave him a derisive look as he examined Pocco in a strangely doctor-like manner.

“ ‘Just?’ He’s got steam coming out of his ears.”

“Come on. I’m pretty sure that that has happened to us as well.”  
“I was in titan form at that time!” she argued, “and that was after I transformed.”

“And after you took offense to something I said.”

She sighed.

“Is Pocco going to be alright?”

“In all seriousness, I don’t know.” They were at the base of the hill now. She saw Bertoldt pacing. He came running after the driver honked loudly at him.

“What happened?”

“Porco is having a poor reaction to the Power of the Titans. We’ve got to get his fever down quickly or.” Zeke paused.

Bertoldt nodded.

“We’ll need to get a new Jaw.” He smiled a sad, half smile.

Pieck relinquished her hold on Porco and beat her fists on Bertoldt’s chest.

“I was kidding. I doubt it will come to that.” He turned to their war chief.

“Right?” he urged for Zeke to agree.

“If we don’t get his fever down quick enough, we’ll need to hope that the next Eldian to be born is not on Paradis,” he admitted softly before taking Porco inside.

“Pieck, stop!” Bertoldt restrained her from lunging at Zeke.

“Attacking the war chief won’t be good.” He covered her mouth as she tried to shout or possibly bite herself.

“It’s bad enough you’re hitting me in front of the guard,” he whispered.

She frowned. Bertoldt was speaking in the Eldian language. Most people knew Eldian. After all, the subjects of Ymir almost conquered the world. However, what he spoke now was more similar to the language spoke on Paradis Island. It was practically archaic and most likely illegal.

And not known by Marleyans. No wonder Bertoldt used it to say something concerning the guard (who was currently running towards to the ship to update the mainland on the situation).

“I know you and Porco are friends. We all are.” He lowered his hand and embraced her.  
“It’ll be alright. Porco will be alright.” He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead and patted her back before pulling away.

“I’m going to check on Reiner.”

“Why is he on the ship?”

Bertoldt turned around.

“He didn’t want to feel the ground shake.”

“So, he’d rather stay on a ship on the ocean?” Pieck asked, confused. She preferred solid ground to the sea any day of the week. Then again, she was a holder of one of the Nine Titans, who supposedly drew their power from an earth goddess or something similar.

“That’s all he said, okay?” he snapped, holding his hands up to show the conversation was over. Pieck returned the gesture, but in a defensive manner. She may be older and have had her titan powers for a year longer than he, but Bertoldt still made her nervous at times.

Realizing that he was inadvertently intimidating her, Bertoldt took a step back and hunched his shoulders.

“Sorry. I-”

“You look quite ridiculous trying to look smaller. You’re six feet four. i'm barely five feet.”

He smirked.

“My titan form is bigger, too.” They had the most drastic difference among the titan shifters (sixty meters verses four meters, to be precise).

“At least I can talk in mine,” Pieck called as he ran to the docks.

She paused as Bertoldt flipped her off over his shoulder.

“Yeah, maybe you can use that hand gesture while in titan form,” she muttered with no real malice. He was simply blowing off steam.

That, and his finger was bleeding from where she bit him. She’d let it slide.

This time.

\----- 

“What’s the plan?” Pieck asked Zeke. He was currently trying to plug in an old fan angled at Porco.

“Like I said, we need to get his fever down.”

“What about a cold bath?” she suggested.

“No bathtub. Plus, I don’t want him to drown.”

“What about a shower?”

“I. Don’t. Want. Him. To. Drown.”

“I get it. Jeez, why are you so cranky?”

“Bertoldt, Reiner, and I have to call the Marley government to discuss our next course of action. I’m in enough trouble as it is for sending for Galliard. If he dies-” He threw the fan. Pieck jumped as it clattered on the floor.

“How about this? You go back to the ship and I’ll get his fever down. Do they have a shower somewhere nearby? If you can get him in the shower, I will make sure he doesn’t drown.”

Zeke was silent, mulling it over. Pieck sighed.

“You can catch me up on strategies later. If they are any good, I’ll probably know about them before you tell me.”

“True. You are absolutely right, Pieck, my dear.” He picked Porco up off of the bed and carried him to the bathroom. It was a small room. The shower floor was practically level with the floor, so she wouldn’t have to lift him over the lip of the shower pan.

“We should get his clothes off. I don’t think he brought spare clothing,” he explained as he began taking off the robe Porco wore.

“I’ll do it. You get back to the ship and make plans.”

“You sure? Your hands aren’t-”

“Big and hairy like yours? Nope. Now shoo.”

Zeke nodded and hurried back to the docks. She resisted the urge to copy Bertoldt and make an obscene hand gesture. Instead, she used her hands to undress her friend.

“You shhakin’,” Porco slurred, startling her.

“You’re awake.”

“Why yer hand snake?”

“I don’t have the best muscle control of my hands, alright?” Pieck didn’t mean to snap, but she was sensitive about her limitations. Sometimes her fingers were numb and she couldn’t grab things properly. There were times where people would hand her something and she would think she had a firm grasp, but didn’t and the something would fall.

“You’re lucky I didn’t drop your titan serum today.” Had that been today? It felt like a lifetime ago, but had been like an hour ago. It might have taken an hour to come down the hill, but Pieck was not entirely sure. She’d been too focused on Pocco and trying not to fly out of the truck to check the time.

Another thing her titan powers seemed to mess with; her sense of time.

She gave up trying to unbutton his shirt (the robe would have been a real bitch to take off if Zeke hadn’t gotten it started for her, not that Pieck would ever tell that to the War Chief). Even if she couldn’t feel the tips of her fingers, she had the rest of her hands and enough brute strength to rip open his shirt.

“You weren’t kiddin?”

“About what?” Ripping his shirt off? A shirt that Zeke specifically said not to rip? Technically, he said that Porco didn’t have a change of clothes. That’s why she was stripping him in the first place.

Eh, only like two buttons came off. The undamaged robe would cover any gaps.

“I though you were messin with Marley guard and needle box,” he whispered in a scandalized tone.

“Nope, I almost dropped a very important and very expensive box with a syringe and titan serum in it. One I wasn’t even supposed to be in possession of,” she replied curtly, although she smiled at the fact that Pocco seemed to be talking a bit more clearly now (his syntax was off and he sounded drunk. It was probably wrong to smile since it wasn’t alcohol messing with his ability to talk, but a dangerously high fever that might literally be frying his brain. Lizard brains were easily amused, though).

“Your hands feel nice,” he moaned in a way that might have caused others to blush as he leaned into her hand on his forehead.

“They cool,” he added with a giggle.

Uh oh. If her hands felt cool to him, that was bad.

She undressed him down to his underwear much faster than she got him out of his shirt. The pants would not be wearable, but pants were overrated anyways. Dying of a fever was not the cool thing to do either (pun intended).

Pieck slid into the shower first before pulling him in. His breathing was slower and his eyes were half shut. The faucet was low enough for her to reach (which was either extremely luckily or a sign of how run down this port’s facilities really were).

She tried not to shudder as the cold water showered down on them. Porco gasped and spurted, reminding Pieck of her promise not to let him drown. She tilted his head down so that he wasn’t facing up with his mouth open.

“It’s okay. You’re okay,” she said as much to herself as to him as he coughed. After a few minutes, the coughing slowed down. There was the occasional gasp or snort when water would find its way in. Pieck had to constantly remind herself that coughing proved that he was breathing. Without that reminder, she would have panicked every time he coughed. Porco’s body had been through a lot today. She needed to let him weather the changes and let his body sort it out. It was like when someone almost choked on their food and the person who was with them asked if they were okay…while they were still hacking.

She kept her fingers near his nose and mouth just to make sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Pieck-chan. My hands can be dumb and cause me to drop things too. Also, this fic will probably be one more chapter. There are still stories I want to write with these two buggers, but I'd post them separately since they might be weird/explicit. Those stories will be standalone fics might have things such as mpreg and maybe something else, but I've never written it before. Gift fics are fun, and I'd hate to add kinky things that may not be the recipient's cuppa tea. Eh, we'll see.
> 
> As always, comments are fun.
> 
> Spoiler Alert!!
> 
> Pocco doesn't drown.


	4. Chapter 4

“What the hell?” Porco cursed. He didn’t know what was going on, but he was soaking wet and…sitting in someone’s lap? He stood up, almost slipping on the tile.

“It’s good. You’re okay!” The someone was trying to hold on to him.

“Pieck? What is going on? Why are we in the shower together?”

“You had a fever. I’m here to make sure you don’t drown. Zeke’s orders.”

“How am I going to drown in a shower?” he snorted. Inwardly, he wondered how out of it he must have been if the War chief asked the Cart Titan to baby-sit him.

Wait.

“Did I inherit the Jaw yet?” That wasn’t a dumb question, was it?

Pieck nodded. He buried his face in his hands and slide down the tile into a crouching position.

“Oh, don’t be embarrassed!” she assured. She crawled over to Porco.

“No one remembers the first time they transform. They just don’t. Even if you look into your predecessor’s memories, it will be from their point of view.”

He said something, but his arm muffled his voice.

“Speak up. I can’t understand your mumbling.”

“Was it like that for you? You’ve never told me about your first transformation.”

Others might have pointed out that she did in fact tell him about it yesterday before handing him the syringe. Pieck knew that he couldn’t remember that conversation even if he tried. It would be rude to point it out, especially since that was the subject they were discussing.

She smiled.

“It was like that for me, too.” She gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. He placed his hand over hers. Pieck assumed at first that it was a kind gesture, a silent thanks for taking care of him.

Then he felt her forehead. His hands felt warm, but not feverish.

“Are you cold? It feels like you are freezing! What the hell were you thinking, getting into a cold shower with your clothes on!” He reached over and turned off the water.

“I had no choice! Zeke and I needed to get your temperature down. Otherwise, you would have died.”

“And what will happen to you if you catch pneumonia? You think you’re immortal, or something?”

“Maybe for the next five years or so. That’s when my lease is up,” she teased.

“You’re not a car, Pieck. Don’t talk like that.” He knelt down with his arms outstretched.

“Just drape your arms around my neck,” he urged, irritated as she stared blankly at him.

“Why?”

“Because you’re sitting in a wet shower in your clothes. You’re going to get sick.”

“I’m not an invalid, Pocco. I can get out of the shower on my own.”

He eyed her dubiously, obviously not believing her. He stood up and gestured towards the bathroom door.

Pieck went to stand up. However, after sitting cross-legged for so long in cold water, her legs were asleep. Not wanting to give Pocco the satisfaction of being right, she planted her hands on the bathroom tile and tried to drag the rest of her body over the shower pan lip.

Porco, however, wasn’t having any of her crawling and picked her up.

“Eee, Pocco!” she squeaked.

“Porco. It’s Porco,” he corrected and set her on the cot in the next room.

“I prefer Pocco,” she sniffed as he grabbed a towel from the bathroom. Luckily, he knew not to throw it to her. She doubted that she could have caught it. Instead, he walked over to her and patted her with the towel.

“Should I get undressed?” That way, her soaked clothes wouldn’t be on her body all night and could dry properly.

“Uh, sure. I mean, I’m guessing that you were the one who undressed me.”

“You want to undress me?”

“What? No! I just meant that you saw me without my clothes on. I’m only wearing my boxers and” he looked down “socks and boots as well. Really? You couldn’t take my boots off before you dragged me into the shower?”

“My shoes are still on, too.” Her teeth were beginning to chatter.

“Shit, Pieck.” He set the towel down and reached to unbutton her sweater.

“Aren’t you going to buy me dinner first?” Pieck teased. His brow furrowed, as he was deep in thought.

“Not sure where they’d have any restaurants on this speck of an island.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, bare aside from her bra straps.

“I’ll buy you dinner when we get back to Libero, okay? I owe you one for taking care of me.” He smiled a kind smile that she had not seen in years. It warmed her heart despite the chills causing her to shiver.

“You don’t owe me anything, Porco! I wanted to help you.”

He placed a finger to her lips.

“You must be getting a cold, if you called me by my actual name,” he chuckled, causing her to blush and sputter. He decided to stop teasing her. It wouldn’t be a good idea to make her blush like that while cold. Who knew what it would do to her system, after all.

He got her down to her skivvies. Porco untied her boots and loosened all the laces so that they came off easily without any yanking. Carefully, he peeled off her socks, taking a moment to appreciate that they didn’t match (a short white and one orange knee sock, neither standard military issue). He took extra care with her feet, drying in between the toes and being thorough since neither of them had extra socks or shoes.

“You don’t have to,” Pieck murmured as he toweled off her knees. She didn’t sound mad. They both decided to believe that her legs were trembling from the cold and not anything else.

“Okay.” He patted down her arms and shoulders more briskly and a little rougher than he had the rest of her body. Maybe it was due to the fact that she was mostly dry now and probably not from the secondhand embarrassment of going up a touch too far on her legs just a moment ago.

This was a platonic undressing, not a romantic one.

“Hehehe! That tickles!” she giggled as he quickly dried the sides of her torso. Apparently, he hadn’t been quick enough.

“There. You’re good.” He handed her the towel from arm’s length away. It was only a little damp, so she wrapped herself in it as Porco went back into the bathroom. He came back with the ceremonial robe he had been wearing.  
“Sorry if there are buttons missing,” she apologized, “I could have sworn that I left that robe wearable.”

“Hm?” he asked, stopping his scrutinizing of the garment in question.

“I’m just surprised that it isn’t bloody.” He sounded more sad than surprised.

“Don’t dwell on it.”

“Don’t dwell on the fact that my robe isn’t covered in blood?” Porco asked, frowning, “that’s a good thing.” He helped her put the robe on and carefully maneuvered her so that he could pull the warn quilt over her.

“You’re a very kind person,” she said as he tucked her in.

He scoffed as he picked up her wet clothes and went to hang them on the curtainless shower rod.

“Just get well soon. Okay?”


End file.
